Phillies hang on to beat Nationals

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, center, celebrates on the field with teammates at the end of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013, at Nationals Park in Washington. Philadelphia won 5-4. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

WASHINGTON – One thing has become clear as Ryne Sandberg enters his final two weeks as interim manager of the Phillies: He is not very keen on catering to the egos of players, no matter how big their name or contract might be.

When Cole Hamels gave up three straight singles to start the seventh inning and load the bases, it did not matter that the southpaw has been the Phils’ best starter in the second half. It did not matter that they were still up four runs on the Nationals. It did not matter that, at 100 pitches, Hamels wasn’t so deep into his pitch count that a change was required.

Sandberg decided he would go to the bullpen – where a quartet of relatively inexperienced arms have been gaining his trust – even if he received an icy stare from Hamels as the hook became apparent.

The move paid off, as each of the four delivered quality efforts as Jonathan Papelbon survived a leadoff double in the ninth to secure a 5-4 win at Nationals Park that delivered a serious wound to Washington’s postseason aspirations.

Advertisement

After the game, Hamels seemed at peace with the pitching change and the fact that his teammates were able to secure his eighth win of the season.

“Ultimately, it was nice to see guys come into tough situations and battle like that,” he said. “I always like to clean up after myself, but I understand the situation ... we had some fresh arms in the bullpen. Ryno has to do what’s gives us the best chance to win, and I understand that.”

The Phils scored four runs in the fifth inning against Gio Gonzalez, with Carlos Ruiz’s two-out, three-run double to right field serving as the biggest blow. John Mayberry Jr. started the inning with a solo homer. A Chase Utley RBI single in the top of the seventh put the Phils up, 5-1.

Then Hamels ran into problems. He got the hook after Scott Hairston, Denard Span and Ryan Zimmerman all singled.

“The meat of the right-handed lineup was coming up,” Sandberg said of his reasoning for removing Hamels there.

He called on Justin De Fratus to take on the bases-loaded, no-out mess in the seventh. He responded by getting a grounder for a force at home, then a sacrifice fly to center. From there, southpaw Cesar Jimenez was brought in to face Bryce Harper. Jimenez, who received praise from Sandberg before the game for the way he has pitched in his first two big-league weeks, sawed off Harper badly. However, the flare found open ground in shallow right-center, with Cesar Hernandez failing to field it cleanly and allowing two runs to cross on the play.

B.J. Rosenberg was brought in and struck out Wilson Ramos to protect the Phillies’ lead. Rosenberg started the eighth and he and southpaw Jake Diekman made sure the game got to Papelbon.

“I think now they feel relaxed,” Ruiz said of the younger relievers. “They don’t have the pressure now. They go to the mound being aggressive. I tell them, ‘Let’s throw a first-pitch strike and we’ll work from there.’ So far they’ve done a good job.”

After giving up a leadoff double to Ryan Zimmerman, Papelbon got a pair of fly outs to bring up Bryce Harper.

It isn’t often you’ll see a closer intentionally walk the potential winning run with two outs in the ninth, but that’s what the Phillies did.

“I think we tried to make sure we were on the same page about facing Ramos in that situation,” Ruiz said. “Everybody said yes, and it worked.”

It only worked after Ruiz made an incredible stop of Papelbon’s first pitch to Ramos, a 57-foot fastball about two feet outside that he picked cleanly with a backhand stab.

“That was unbelievable,” Ruiz said. “I don’t know how I caught that ball. I was in the video room watching it two or three times, and that was amazing. That was a big situation. I just threw my glove out and hoped to keep it close to me with guys on first and second, and somehow it worked.”

Papelbon got his bearing and got Ramos when he scorched a one-hopper to Jimmy Rollins, who made a neat stab of that ball to secure Papelbon’s 27th save.

The loss meant the Nationals fell 5 ½ games behind the Reds for the final N.L. wildcard spot with 14 games remaining. Sandberg said his team was well aware Washington had been on a roll and hoping to chase down Cincinnati, and that he stressed it should serve as motivation.

“They know. The players know,” Sandberg said. “Especially with the recent history (between the teams). The players realize that. We talked about that. There were a lot of conversations about that … around the batting cage. You could feel that (Friday night).

“These are meaningful games within the division, and to see guys rise to the occasion, throw strikes and earn it, that’s all good stuff.”